Moonlit Sky
by StarSerallina
Summary: Gem is a hawk-shifter who moves a lot with her sister Amy. They moved to Pittsburgh after a lupine wolf -shifter attack. Soon they are stalked by a vampire and have to ask for help from a shifter and their witch friend. They discover who they really are.
1. Why We Moved

**This is kind of like a Den of Shadows and moden-Kiesha'ra cross over. It's written in my own style, but with concepts of Amelia Atwaters-Rhodes series. The characters are mine so far. This is the beginning:**

**Moonlit Sky: Gem's Story**

**Chapter 1-Why We Moved**

**1**

**"Alina Hinsdale," the** substitute teacher called.

I raised my hand, "Here!" The sub nodded and continued to call out students' names, taking attendance. Eight hour pre-calculus, my least favorite class and my last class of the day. I was relieved that we had a sub. At least I'd have no math home work tonight. That's one stress off my mind.

My full, real name is Alina Jemela Buteo, and I'm a shifter. An avian shifter to be more specific. Falconformi, to be even more specific. Heck, Buteo shifter, also known as a hawk-shifter. I look like a human girl some of the time, but I can also be a hawk.

I'm seventeen-years-old and I live with my twenty-five-year-old sister, Amy, which is short for Amethyst. Amy also has a nickname for me. She calls me Gem, short for my middle name, Jemela. She's the only one who calls me that name. I prefer being called Gem, though my school mates and teachers call me Aly.

We never stay more than a school semester in the same place. Last semester we were living in Buffalo, New York. This semester we're in Pittsburgh. The city is surrounded by beautiful green mountains and some rivers. It looks beautiful from the ground, but even better from the air. I should know. My sister and I flew here in our hawk forms. Thanks to shifter magic, we were able to keep our clothes on and bring a small load of necessities in backpacks. We had enough money with us for some food and an apartment after we arrived. Amy even found herself a job at a local restaurant.

We will survive. That's what matters. We are safe and no one knows us, so no one can use us or hurt us.

Back in Buffalo something happened that forced us to move. We would have moved anyways if it didn't happen, but it was horrible anyways. Another group of shifters, the lupine ones, attacked us. One of the more handsome ones was stalking my sister ever since the day we first arrived there. He wouldn't leave her alone. He would stand outside of our apartment at night, waiting in the bushes, listening for Amy. He would fallow her to and from work. He asked her out. She refused. He insisted. Then one night he tried to kidnap her. He knocked her out when she wasn't watching and carried her to the park. Meanwhile, I was worried. Amy was supposed to be home by then. It wasn't like her to stay out so late.

I went looking for her. I flew around the area, using my hawk-sight to search for her. I flew above the park and spotted her brown hair in the hands of a big man. I swooped down and used my talons to grab the lupine-man's hair. He yelled and Amy woke up and punched him really hard and then he dropped her and she shifter into hawk form. Then he shifted and started chasing us.

I don't know if you're aware of this, but hawks are no match for wolves. We do have one thing on them though, we can fly. Except in this case, Amy was hurt. She was having a hard time flying straight because of her concussion. She flew into a tree and the screech she made was fallowed by a chorus of howls. Three more wolves besides the stalker one came out and they attacked. I swooped down and shifted back to human form and grabbed Amy-in-hawk-form and ran as fast as I could. The wolves caught up with me two seconds later. I started yelling, "Can't we just talk about this?" and also, "We'll leave your territory ASAP if that's what you want." Then Amy-in-hawk-form started screeching again and flapping her wings as to say, "I'm fine, let me fly!" I let her go, and she flew. I shifted to and flew as fast as I could with the wolves at my tail. Soon we soared into the open window of our apartment.

We packed up every thing we needed and left less than an hour later. That was about two months ago. After a few days at our new place I was enrolled in Brashear High School just south of the downtown area and the river. I've been playing the part of the calm, shy, quiet and invisible new girl at school since then. I've made acquaintances rather than friends. As often as we move, making friends isn't worth it.

So after a boring class period of studying for the pre-calc test coming up, I left the building and went into the wood on the side of the school and shifted. I flew to the apartment complex and landed in the well shaded area outside of it. I shifted back to human form, back-pack and all, and then unlocked our door.

Amy wasn't home as usual. She was at work, serving customers their food. I walked into my bedroom and started doing my homework. We had to read a chapter in the _Great Gatsby_. It was such a boring book. What did I care about rich people from the twenties? As I read I slowly drifted off from boredom. Me eyes couldn't focus on the words, so I feel asleep.


	2. The New Guy

**2**

"I'm home," Amy called. "Gem? Are you awake?"

"Yeah," I mumbled as I removed the book from my face. "How was work?"

"It was okay," she replied. "How was school?"

"Fine, but we have a pre-calc test in a few days," I answered.

"Oh, okay." She put her waitress uniform on a hanger and hung it up in the hall closet of our apartment.

Me and my sister used to have a very close relationship, but ever since Buffalo, we stopped having regular, deep, sisterly talks. I really miss them, but I'd prefer to avoid any mention of what happened in Buffalo because I wouldn't want to upset Amy.

I try to get back to my English home work and Amy goes into her room to chill out and watch TV.

I heard somewhere that avoidance leads to aggression. I really hope that won't happen in out case. Maybe things will get better, hopefully soon. I want us to feel like a family again, to be best friends as sisters. I wish Buffalo never happened.

At school the next day something (or should I say, _someone_) happened that insured I would no longer be the new girl anymore. My first hour Psychology teacher introduced a new student. "Class, we have a new student today who just moved here from Massachusetts," Ms. Collins told us. She motioned for the guy in the doorway.

He came to the front of the class. "Hey." He scanned the room until his eyes locked on mine. This guy was major hot. I may have never dated, but I've had plenty of crushes. This guy was hotter than Zac Efron, the Jonas brothers, and Tom Cruise combined.

His jeweled blue eyes glanced around the room once more. "I'm Ian Jacobs, and I came here from Boston." After that short introduction, he headed for the open seat in the back and sat down. His dark hair covering his eyes, reminding me of the emo guys in school and how they like to hide their face with their hair. Ian didn't seem emo, though. He was just the new kid and a bit shy because he didn't know anybody. I was sure he wouldn't be shy by the end of the year.

"We'll be taking notes today. Ian, I'll give you a copy of yesterday's notes since you weren't here. You can still copy down today's notes yourself. Today we'll be continuing the notes on psychological disorders," and Ms. Collins continued as I took out my note book and started copying down what was on the power point slide.

After class I was startled when Ian came up behind my back and said, "Hey. Alina, right?"

"How did you-"

"It's written on your folder," he replied. I looked down at my psych folder. He was right.

"And you're Ian," I confirmed.

"Yup. And I have biology next period. Mind if you tell me where that might be located?" he asked with a small smile.

"Yeah. It's right upstairs in the science hallway. You'll find your classroom if you look at the room numbers by the doors," I answered matter-of-factly.

"Can you _walk_ me to the room?" he asked, clearly wanting my time and attention.

"No, sorry, I have P.E. next and I better hurry or I'll be late. They hand out tardies if you're not in the locker room by the time the bell rings." I smiled at him and walked away, rushing to get to the other side of the school.

I've never seen a guy flirt with me, but I was pretty sure that Ian just did that. Those blue eyes like polished sapphires staring at me the whole time. To blue to be human. Not black like a vampire's nor chocolate brown like a lupine's. Blue like something else. I wasn't sure, but that guy wasn't human. Humans don't look like that. Whether he was another type of shifter, a witch or something completely different, I was determined to find out eventually.


	3. The Vampire Lady

**3**

As it just so happens, me and Ian also have seventh hour study hall together. He came and plopped his butt down right beside me as I was trying to get as much of tonight's chapter of _The Great Gatsby _done as possible before I got home.

"Is that book any good?" he inquired. My head shot up and looked at him. I liked the way his shaggy emo hair lined his perfect face.

"It's…okay," I started to say, but then decided to be truthful. "Actually, it's pretty much the boringest book I've ever had to read."

"I thought so," he just says. He takes a deep breath. "How was P.E.? I have it next."

"It sucked. Our class had to run the mile. Who do you have?"

"E. Hitchcock." Mr. Earl Hitchcock, also know as Coach Cocky by half the school, is pretty much the toughest gym teacher a student could get. I'm so glad I didn't get him when we moved here.

"Mr. Hitchcock. I heard he's really tough on his students. Good luck. I have Mrs. Shire and she's nice. Too bad you didn't get her." I must have been talking a little too loudly because the study hall supervisor motioned for us to be quiet, fallowed by a "Shhh."

"Okay," I whispered back. I'm not a very talkative person, but Ian with his hot-new-guy looks was making me talkative. I realize I should just shut up and go back to my book. It's not very smart to get close to people when you move so much, especially if you don't know what that person you're getting close to is. I went back to my uber-boring assigned reading and he went back to what ever homework he had.

When I got home Amy was there. "Why are you home so early?" I asked.

"I went home sick," she replied, but I sensed it was something worse than that. Something much worse.

"Really," I remarked sarcastically.

"Mhm." She folded her laundry and placed it in her top drawer, ignoring my remark. "So, how was school?"

"Great," I said and meant it. "There's this new guy in my psych class and study hall and-"

"You have a crush on him?" she said in a sisterly-teasing tone that reminded me of old times.

"I guess so. He was flirting with me, too. But there is this one thing about him and I'm not really sure, but-"

"But, what?"

"I'm pretty sure he's not human," and I cringe and wait for the some-boy-are-dangerous lecture.

Instead she asked, "Is he a vampire?"

"No, his eyes are blue, not black."

"Then he's not a lupine either. That's good. So, you're sure he's not human. Not even mostly human? There are tons of dangerous people out there, Gem. You have to be sure. He could be something worse like a Triste witch or a woman-seducing, man-eating, shape-shifting predator. He could eat you!" she exclaimed.

"I really don't thing he wants to eat me, Amy." And if he tried to, I could just fly away, right?

"You never know."

I was really hoping not to go into this, but, "What happened in Buffalo was a fluke, Amy, not your fault. This guy's not gonna stalk me. He's very nice actually and even if I decided not to go out on a date with him _when_ he asks me, we could at least become friends. I think I'm due for another person to be open to, don't you think?"

"You are not, absolutely NOT going to let him know that you are a shifter, understand? It's too risky, Alina." She only calls me _Alina_ when she's upset. Sounding just like mom before she died, "We cannot take that chance. You're putting our family at risk, the both of us." Amy breathed hard. Her face was red, he eyes sad. I knew she was thinking of our parents. How they died. How a vampire murdered them both right in front of us. That was seven years ago.

"What happened at work today?" I asked firmly because she was keeping it from me. As her sister, it was my right to know what was wrong.

She looked at me and paused, staggering, and not willing to tell me any of it. She soon let up, and spilled it all out. "This woman walked into the restaurant today," she started, her eyes filled with tears and her voice high with sadness. "She had black eyes. Dead black eyes. She was terribly beautiful with dark wavy hair. I knew as soon as I saw her when I went to take her order. She was a vampire."

She paused to blow her nose, and then looked back up at me. "A vampire, and not just any vampire. Pittsburgh may be full of vampires, Gem, many of then part of SingleEarth. The rest of them loners that survive of human blood. But this vampire, she looked familiar. She was one of the ancient ones, Gem, I'm serious.

"She's the one who changed the vampire who killed mom and dad. She _sent _that vampire fledgling to kill them. If it weren't for her, mom and dad would be alive! I sensed it. She did too, I saw it in her face. I tried to block my thoughts, but she's too strong, she was definitely reading my mind.

"I couldn't stay there with her there. I had to leave. I don't know if I can bear to go back there. Jeremy gave me the rest of the day off and tomorrow. I'll be okay by Saturday, I know it." Her face was puffy and her gold irises surrounded by blood-shot red.

"It's okay, I'm sure that the vamp won't come after us. Amy, just calm down, please."

"It's not okay. She's going to stalk us and kill us both. I saw it in her dead eyes. I just know she will," she breathed and put her hands on her face. "How about a flight?" It might calm my nerves."

"I can't. I gotta study. Sorry, you can go without me."

"You're sure?" She cocked her head.

"Positive," I reassured with a fake laugh. And with that, she opened the window, shifter to hawk-form and took off.


	4. The Dream

**4**

Amy wasn't home when our dinner time rolled around, so I decided to cook for myself. I made a can of chicken soap on the top of the stove and ate it all. Maybe Amy was eating hawk-style tonight. That meant mice by the beak.

When Amy did get home an hour later, her face was pale as soon as she walked up to me. "I saw her again during my flight," she stated. She sat down on the couch next to me. "She walked into some apartment building down the street. I think she's living there."

I only mumbled, "Mhm." I was too wrapped in the TV to make sense of what she was saying.

"Gem, are you even listening?" she asked.

"Yeah," I replied sheepishly.

"Yeah, right," she sarcastically said. "I said that the _ancient_, _dangerous_ vampire lives right down the street. _Our_ street. Not some street _ten _or _three_ miles away. _This_ street. We're in some serious danger, Gem."

I could only stare. "_Alina_, I'm absolutely _serious_ about this. _Not _joking," she yelled at me. I quickly snapped out of it and understood. We were in trouble.

"Aw, crap. Does that mean we're moving again? Already?" I asked, worried that meant I wouldn't get to see Ian again.

"No. Not yet, at least. We'll wait at least a week and see if anything happened. We don't want to raise her suspicions and come after us."

"You _really_ think she will, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. I'm very sure of it," she said with false confidence.

"Well, when she does, _if_ she does come after us, then I'll agree to leave. For now I'm happy where I'm at, thank you very much." I crossed my arm as I slumped into the couch.

"Okay," she agreed. "Are you hungry?"

"No. I ate canned soup," I told her.

"Sorry I was gone so long. I already ate."

"Whatever," I yawned. "I'm going to go get ready for bed. Gotta big pre-calc test tomorrow."

"Good luck." She smiled at me.

"Yeah, well, good night." And I hugged her. I walked into my room and put on my night gown. I plumped onto my bed and started shuffling through my notes, trying to pound the information in them, into my brain.

After about five minutes of that, my mind slipped back into the dreamy state where I think about the day's event. Ian. The amazingly hot Ian. Eyes like blue sapphires, hair like obsidian.

Tomorrow mourning I would see him again. His graceful body would slink into the room, slither to his seat and he'd be watching. His emo-hairstyle hiding his emotions. He might even decide to continue flirting with me. I wanted him. I never wanted a guy before. I was so independent. I want someone now.

My eyes could make out the numbers of the math notes any longer, so I got into my covers and shut off my lamp. I drifted off in a matter of minutes and was soon dreaming. Dreaming about Ian.

Ian stood before me. His chest was bare. He called out, _Alina_. I reached for him, but he was too far away. _Alina, come here. I have something to show you_. I tried to get to him, but he was always too far. _Alina_, he said again.

_You can call me, Gem. _I tried to say. I wasn't sure if I said it out loud or if I was thinking it.

_Gem. I like that. Gem, I have something to show you. Come here. _His body seemed to shake a bit. I wasn't sure what was happening. His body was shimmering now. His form was deteriorating, shrinking to something thinner. The dark from slithered on the ground, toward me. Ian was no longer here. In his place was the dark, scaly form. It moved gracefully and had the same blue, jewel color eyes as Ian did. I knew I was dreaming, then.

I woke up thinking about it. Was it a dream? Was it just my mind making stuff up? My clock said it was 3:00am, and knew that I wasn't thinking straight. Was Ian a shifter? Could shifters enter dreams? I've heard of shifter magic being strong enough to have premonitions or even to paralyze victims, but entering dreams? That's unheard of!

It was only a dream, and Ian wasn't _really_ in it. I told myself that until I fell asleep again. Ian, sadly, wasn't in any of my other dreams.


End file.
